Pneumatic-tire pressure-gage and dust-cap.



G. E. TRAUB. PNEUMATIC TIRE PRESSURE GAGE AND DUST GAP.

APPLICATION FILED sBPTlajIQlz.

Patented Mar. 3l, 19M.

oi? Californie,

bodied in any suitable form of comprehend, essentially,

PNEUMATIC-TIBE EESSURE-GAGE AND noemen.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that E GEORGE E. Tinne, a citizen or the United Lmites, residing et den Diego, in the county of San Diego and State have invented an Improved Pneumatic-Tire Pressure- Gage and Bust Cep, of which the following is a specifica tion, v

rlfhis invention has reference to a new and useful device comprising nii organizatioifi of elements which are capable of controlling the inflatiit'g medium of pneumatic tires an( oi? determining the pressure of the infiatingg medium thereinr and of registering such pressure; the device beinel also capable of protecting the air valve o? a pneumatic tire from dust.

lt is a design othe invention to so relate the elements, that they may, Without reinovn ing the device from the tire valve, be elected' for the admission o the inflating inediiim, or for indicating the pressure of the contained medium, and for closinff said tire valve to eiectually'ret-ain the indeling medium in the tire. i

:it is a further. design of the invention to construct e casing for the elements which shall be adapted for application to the valve of e pneumatic tire in a ina-nner similar to e dust Cep., and which shell contain suitable compartments for performing the funetions set forth.

The principles herein related may be enimechanism. and thereore, for the purpose of explanation, such invention may be embodied to a lthreaded sleeve of a tire velve, a cylinder casing relatively adinstable with said sleeve, having an air chamoer and a spring operated piston within said chamber, a graduated stem extending from the air chamberya valve within said stem, and an adjustable 'r leasing screw in'the cylinder casing for opening the tire valve, the parts bein relatively adjustable for controlling and Vindicetiifig the pressure. of an intlating medium for e pneumatic tire.

Anemocdiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, ivliereon# Figure '1 is view of a device incorporating the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective,

view ofthe same with a part of the cylinder chamber clit away to show the pressure .indi- .eating marks on the piston stem; Fig. 3

illustrates a modied Atorni ofthe in vcntion;

a sectional and perspective l l l Specification of Letters atent. Application filed eptemecr le, it?. 'Serial No. Rhede.

of the chamber and is secured vis provided with an annular .S has a. piston 9 mounted therein;

DUST-CAP.

Patented Mai. 31, i914...

Fig. e is a detail view ot the-piston Ister/nes sliovvn in Figs. l and 2, disclosing' the groove thereonfor locking'tlie piston in si closed position; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the spring and plunger shown in Fig. 3.

ln the several views similar reference characters apply to like parts.

Assuming the invention to be embodiedv in the form illustrated, the elements referred to may be mounted inan' external casing comprising a threaded sleeve 1 and a cylin de r chamber 2, relatively adjustable' therewith. it may be readily seen from `the drawing that the casing is ap roximatelv coextensive in dimension wit an ordinary dust cap as used on en automobile tire, and when applied to a tire valve., may be left attached thereto permanently, it bein only necessary to remove the seme when t ie tire is removed from the wheel rim. l

Cylinder 2 is provided with an extension 3, exteriorly threaded to engage with sleeve l, and inieriorly threaded to enga e with the tirevalve' stem e. An adjustab e screw 5. is provided .tor opening valve 6 of the pneiimatic tire. The tire valve isopened by turning the cylinder casing until screw' 5 engages with valve 6.

Cylinder 2 is divided into chambers and 8, of which chamber 7 communicates iicctly with valve 6, of the tire, and 'chamber 1i; rubait 1Q, innlres contact witlrtliei?A alls to the 4Seton by a valve stein 1l', having thereiinilt-valve 12, whereby an inflatng medium my beadmitted to the device. Openingsllr Orts 13 give immediate communication" tween chambers 'E' and 8.

The wall of chamber 8 oove 14, and sleeve l is provided with a pin l15 enffaging with said groove,A the same limiting t e lon gitndinal movement of cylinder 2, and, when the cylinder is in the osition as shown in Fig. l, and is turned' tightly against said pin, is'lockcd in position and prevented from becoming detached fromsleeve 1. A. coiled spring'lo is interposed between pis ton 9 and upper. end 17 of the cylinder, and normally tends to force the piston downward or against the pressure o the'inlating, medium `which may be admitted tochainbera Y and 8 through valve 6.

rWhen an iniiating initted to the tire, cylinder 2 is screwed down or until medium shall be ait 'the valve actuating sci'cw .f

` provided wit .x operating cylinder 2.

operates valve G, of the tire.. Cap 18 Amay then be' removed 'and pressure adm itt through -valve- 12 to initiate the tire. 'The pressure of the vintlating medium in the lower end of chamher will force the spring actuated piston 9 'upward or against the tension of s ring 16. Piston stem 19 is .'graduations 20 whereby' the `prlssure of the inflatin'g medium may be determined. l/Vhen the desired pressure is attained, cylinder 2 may be operated longitudinally until valve 8 is released, -whereupon the tire will remain inflated. Piston stem 19 is provided with a groove 21, circumferentially arranged, and adapted to en? 22, in the upper end of the cylinder, the groove having a pitch whereby the stem may he turned to lock the piston Within chamber 8, and also eiectually close openings emporte 3.3.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the inventioncomprehends -an organization of elements relatively operable for the control of an iniating medium for pneumatic tires, and for registering the pressure thereof, and provided with a housing or casing gage with a pin which is effectual as a dust cap for the protection of the air valve of a pneumatic tire. An inlating medium may oe admitted to the tire Without releasing' the piston and stein, as in the closed position of the piston, a passage is formed with the tire, intercepted only by the tire valve and the valve in the piston stem.

It is a feature of the invention that the parts are few. compactly arranged, nd eilicicnt for peraorniing the functios herein set forth. I

lVith this device applied to the pneu matic tires of a. vehicle, icr instance, an automobile, Athe t be intiated to a uniform pressure M L es.. t. and the pressure in any one of the tires may be instantly determined, this being accoinplished by irst releasing piston stein 19, and then turning the cylinder until the tire'valve is opened.

Knurls 23 are provided for convenience in ILS l have for convenience described the pressure valve and gage as in a vertical position, but it will he evident that it may he operated at any angle, my invention comprising the elements described, the form and arrangement of which may be modied, provided the essential characteristics are retained.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Fig. 3, in which sleeve24 is adapted to screw upon valve stem il, of a pneumatic tire. A cylinf'er part 25, is adapted to ngage with vave stem e, and operate valve 6, in the same manner as the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. ln chamber 26, a piston 2? is mounted and is adapted to reciprocate therein, Piston stern 2c is'provided with graduations 29 for registering the pressure ed' of the inlating medium in the tire. A friction Washer 30, is secured to piston 27, and engages with the walls of the cylinder chamber, thereby holding the piston in any position to which it may be forced by the pressure of the inflating medium. A coiled spring of rectangular cross-section having its end coils 31 and 32 of lar er diameter, is secured in the bottom of c amber 26, a groove 33 being provided in the Wall of the. chamber .engaging with coil 31 of the spring. The upper coil 32, engages with a washer 34, and forces the sime tightly against the walls of the chamber, forming a plunger for the spring. The spring coils are normally in a closed position, lforcing the plunger down upon extension 35 in the bottom of the chamber. AA washer 36 directly beneath Washer 34, carries a'valve V37', provided for opening 38, and is designed to be closed by the pressure which may be admitted to the chamber from the pneumatic tire, thereby causing the plunger 34 to actuate piston 27 and determine the pressure.

In use the inflating medium is admitted through piston stem 28, to the chamber, pressure of which will cause spring 39 to be distended, thereby opening valve 37 for the admission of the intlating .medium to the tire. The piston `27 remains in position upon release of the pressure.

Should the invention be embodiedv in the forr'n as shown in Fig. 5, theparts ma comprise a cylinder 25, arranged to attached to a pneumatic tire nippleas in F' -1 and 2,` and having mounted 1n chamberlg; a piston 27 which reciprocates therein. A,

closed coil spring 39, rectangullr ige c am r 2, c.

provided int-he wall of the,

is secured 1n the ,bottom o ifsoove 33 being chamber, engagmgv with coil 31 of' the spring. The upper coil 82 of the spring, engages with a thin steel washer 40, which is provided with a disk valve 41, normally hdd closed by spring,-42. Washer 34 is forced by the' lll

spring 39, against the walls of the chamber,

forming a plunger for the spring. 1

In use the infiating medium may be admitted through piston stem 28v and valve 41 to the chamber, the pressure causing'plurg: 34 to move longitudinally and force pi l 27 upward. Piston 27 remains in positi@ .l

upon release of the pressure thereby automatically registering the same. The tire pressure may be ascertained 'by adjusting the cylinder so that releasing-screw 5 may operate the tire valve, which will admit the inating medium to the lower part of chamher 26, thereby causing the device. to register the pressure as aforesaid. It will be noted that washer 40 so incases the upper spring coil7 as to operate in unison therewith, thereby securing positive action of plunger 84. The cylinder and piston are locked in the to be secured to the tire valve nipple,

v flatingmedium to the Cylinder manso seme manner es me device shown in Figs. 1. 2, 3, and 4.

I claim as my invention:

l. In zar-pneumatic tire pressure gage, the combination with a threaded sleevefadaped o :i cylinder having Soren-,vI conneetion with said threaded sleeve, a valve releasinor screw in lthe bottom of said cylinder for re easing the fire valve when said cylinder is screwed inwardly, a piston in said cylinder, e piston stem extending from said cylinder haing n groove therein longitudinally and circumferentially arranged and having e pitch relative' to the piston stem, n pin in the upper end of said cylinder adapted tp engage with said groove wherebysaid piston may he locked within said cyhnder; n spring interposed between said piston and the upper end of said Cylinder casing and acting ngains the pressure of the infiating medium, gradiiations upon said piston stem to indicate the pressure of the influting medium, :i valve in said pieton Stem ndapied to admit the inchamber, and means-for locking the cylinder out of engagement with the tire valve, comprising a nin enfuvin with the edffes of :in annular i D D C `ried by"the cylinder -xed my signature oove on the cylinder, substantially ne set Orth. f

2. Ine combination with n threaded sleeve adapted to be secured to the nipple of u tire valve, of a cylinder casing of approximately the same diameter as said nipple and having screw connection wih said sleeve, means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the offline der and locking it in the outward position, n spring actuated piston wihin sind oylin der, a piston stem extending from the cylinder having graduations thereon, m :menerfor releasing ne ii'e valve, means for locking ho pi: closed position to forni a continuons par g from the tire valve to he upper end of ille piston stein, and :i valve in Said pieifn siem, substantially as forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto e, to .the foregoing specifi? cation, this 12th day of September, in the -yenr 1912.

SEUR-GE E. 'lIi-'ill in the presence of F. M. KEENEY, S. R. -IYAMS.

neuinatic tire pressure gage, the 

